This application claims priority to pending German patent application Nos. 299 09 201.1 filed May 27, 1999, 299 08 409.4 filed May 17, 1999, and 99 03 490.7, 199 03 653.5, and 299 01 516.5 filed Jan. 29, 1999.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of position devices. More particularly, it concerns a position device for a throttle valve unit, in which a throttle valve held by a throttle valve shaft is arranged adjustably in a housing unit that includes at least one Hall-effect angular rotation sensor unit that is arranged on the throttle valve unit. The sensor unit includes a stationary unit, a moving unit that can be moved relative to the stationary unit, a drive unit, and a transmission that is arranged between the moving unit and the drive unit. The housing unit encloses, at least partially, the stationary unit and the moving unit. Even more particularly, the invention concerns a Hall-effect angular rotation sensor device that includes a stationary unit and a moving unit that can be moved relative to the stationary unit. The housing unit encloses, at least partially, the stationary unit and the moving unit.
The present invention also relates generally to the field of adjusting devices. More particularly, it concerns an adjusting device for a throttle valve unit with a throttle valve, which is adjustably contained with a throttle valve shaft in a throttle valve housing. That housing contains at least a Hall-effect angular rotation sensor unit that is coupled with the throttle valve unit including: a stationary unit, a mobile unit that can be moved in relation to the stationary unit, a drive unit, a transmission that is positioned between the mobile unit and the drive unit, and a housing element that encloses at least partially the stationary and the mobile units and the transmission.
2. Description of Related Art
An adjusting device of particular interest is described in WO 95 14 911 A1. It consists of a throttle valve that is enclosed by a throttle valve housing. The throttle valve with a throttle valve shaft is arranged rotatably in the throttle valve housing. An angular rotation sensor, a transmission unit, and a motor unit (that are connected to each other) are arranged in a sensor housing. A specially-configured housing for electronic components contains a circuit unit separately. The individual housings can be stacked together. The angular rotation sensor consists of a stationary element, relative to which a rotating element can be moved. The stationary element is a stator element consisting of two partial, half-moon shaped stator elements, between which there is a distancing gap in which a Hall sensor is located. The rotating element is a ring magnet element that is retained by a magnet retaining unit connected to a shaft.
Although this adjusting device has exhibited at least a degree of utility, its assembly expense may be very high. In addition, it is not possible to mount the angular rotation sensor, the motor, and the transmission easily on different types of throttle valve units.
In WO 98 55 828 A1 an angular rotation sensor is described in which stator elements and a magnet element are configured in the shape of partial ring segments. While this configuration reduces the quantity of material needed to produce these parts, manufacturing and assembly costs may be very high.
Accordingly, and in view of the shortcomings listed above, it would be advantageous to develop an adjusting device and an angular rotation sensor device that are easy to manufacture, easy to assemble, and easy to connect. This task is solved by a position device and by an angular rotation sensor device according to the present disclosure.
Certain advantages accomplished by the invention reside in that stator elements may be configured as partial ring stator segments, and a ring magnet element may be configured as a partial ring magnet segment. Such a design advantageously saves material. The integration of these parts into units of an angular rotation sensor makes subsequent adjustments unnecessary, saving valuable assembly time. The special configuration of the partial ring magnet segment and a three-piece division of the stator into three partial ring stator segments (and their special correlation with each other) constitutes an advantageous design of an angular rotation sensor. Such a design makes highly precise measurements possible.
In an angular rotation sensor device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the moving element may be a toothed gear segment of a transmission. This toothed gear segment may be mounted on a throttle valve shaft of a throttle valve. The movable element, however, may also be configured in a different way and may be part of another device (e.g., part of a belt tightener or the like). The variable configuration of the rotatable element makes it possible to combine it with a multitude of different systems used to measure an angle of rotation.
In one embodiment, the first and the second partial ring stator segments, as well as the partial ring magnet segment and the third partial ring stator segment, may be positioned in one plane at least partially side by side. In another embodiment, they may be positioned at least partially on top of each other. With the benefit of the present disclosure, it will be apparent to those having skill in the art that other configurations may also be utilized.
In one embodiment, when the toothed gear segment rotates from a zero position to an end position, the partial ring magnet segment and the third partial ring stator segment may assume a position relative to the first and the second partial ring stator segments in which they are positioned at least partially overlapping each other in a zero position and almost completely overlapping each other in an end position. With partial segments that lie in one plane, the partial ring magnet segment and the third partial ring stator segment move like a sickle past the first and second partial ring stator segments (that also act like a sickle), starting at the tips, and past each other either side by side or one underneath the other, until they reach the ends of the two sickles. In this embodiment, the Hall-effect IC switch is positioned at the most effective point of movement of these two sickle-shaped partial elements.
The first and the second partial ring stator segments, as well as the partial ring magnet segment and the third partial ring stator segment, feature sickles that are as long as a segment of a circle between about 80xc2x0 and about 180xc2x0. In one embodiment, a circle segment of about 115xc2x0 was found to be the variant that is optimum for measuring.
In one embodiment, the partial ring magnet segment may be configured as a magnet of opposite polarity. A magnet of opposite polarity describes a magnet in which the outer and inner surfaces of the partial ring magnet segment have been polarized oppositely and the top and bottom halves (or side by side halves in another embodiment) of the partial ring segment have been polarized oppositely. This forms a checkerboard polarization of the partial ring magnet segment and reduces the total height of the angular rotation sensor device by about one-half. In one embodiment, the angular rotation sensor device with its parts and transmission may be enclosed, at least partially, by a sensor housing element of the housing unit. The toothed gear segment may be coupled in the sensor housing element to a spring element that is also contained in the sensor housing element. This guarantees a well-defined end position.
In order to be able to better adjust individual parts, plastic material may be used. If the sensor housing element is molded out of plastic material, the first and the second partial ring stator segments may be molded into it during the same molding process. When forming the toothed gear segment out of plastic material, the partial ring magnet segment and the third partial ring stator segment may be molded into the plastic material as well. Molding into plastic saves additional adjusting effort and facilitates the main assembly of the basic elements of the angular rotation sensor device.
In one embodiment, the throttle valve with the throttle valve shaft may be contained in a throttle valve housing of the housing unit. The sensor housing element may be placed on the throttle valve housing, and the toothed gear segment may be plugged onto the throttle valve shaft. Such a two-piece configuration makes it possible to manufacture an angular rotation sensor with a transmission, etc. at a different site than the site where the throttle valve unit is produced. The prefabricated units may then be assembled at the site of the throttle valve manufacturer or at a different site. In this fashion, it is possible to manufacture large quantities and to optimize the final unit cost.
In one embodiment, the sensor housing element may be configured as a housing cap. Such a housing cap element may be put on the throttle valve housing as a sealing element. In another embodiment, the sensor housing element itself may feature a cap that may be used to close it. In an embodiment in which the first and second partial stator ring elements are positioned on top of each other, those elements may also be molded into a cap, at least partially.
In one embodiment, the sensor housing element and the throttle valve housing may be coupled to each other. The coupling may be realized through any methodology known in the art including, but not limited to, screws, an additional bar, or the like.
In one embodiment, the first, second, and third partial ring stator segments may include a ferrous material. Select steels or any other suitable material may also be used. In this embodiment, the partial ring magnet segment and the third partial ring stator element may be shaped as a single piece. Subsequently, the partial ring magnet segment may be configured as a magnet of opposite polarity using magnetizing procedures as known in the art.
In one embodiment, the transmission may be configured conventionally or with magnetic gearing. The transmission may include the following components: a toothed gear segment, a motor bevel gear coupled to the drive unit, an intermediate bevel gear, and an adjusting bevel gear that may be coupled to the intermediate bevel gear and which may be held rotatably in the sensor housing element. The toothed gear segment may engage the adjusting bevel gear, and the motor bevel gear may engage the intermediate bevel gear.
In one embodiment, the drive unit may be a motor that is at least partially enclosed by the sensor housing element. However, it is also possible that the motor, which may be enclosed by an external housing, may be coupled to the cap housing element. In both embodiments, a configuration results that may be coupled in an easy manner to a separately manufactured throttle valve unit.
Further advantages accomplished through the present invention reside in particular in that the transmission, the stationary, and the mobile unit may be contained together in a housing cap element. This makes it possible to pre-assemble and manufacture this component independently from the location of the manufacturer of the throttle valve unit. The fully-equipped cap housing element may be easily adapted and coupled to a wide variety of different throttle valve units. Another rather significant advantage is that the mobile unit may be retained in the toothed wheel segment of the transmission. This saves space and simplifies the adjustment of the mobile unit. The ring magnet that is configured in the shape of a partial ring may be easily retained in the toothed wheel segment, and a positive interaction between these ring magnets and partial stator ring segments is guaranteed. The toothed wheel segment, which can be used instead of a fully circular toothed wheel, secures the firm position and the function of the sensor.
The partial stator ring segments and the partially ring-shaped ring magnets may be partially arranged side-by-side in the same plane. The ring magnet segment moves like a sickle into the air gap opening between the two partial stator ring segments, and at the same time at least one Hall-IC probe is positioned in the stator distancing gap.
The partial stator ring segments and the ring magnet segment may also be arranged to be positioned one on top of the other. In this configuration, the ring magnet segment moves within the air gap opening between the two partial stator ring segments. One of the two partial stator ring segments is subdivided into two subdivisions, leaving the distancing gap open between them in which at least one Hall-IC probe is positioned. In the stator distancing gap one, two, or more Hall-IC probes may be positioned. Providing several Hall-IC probes, on the one hand, increases functional reliability through redundant systems, and on the other hand, potential gradients of the Hall-IC probes that are offset from each other by a certain angle may be registered and displayed.
The toothed wheel segment may be made from plastic material into which the ring magnet may be molded. The cap housing element may also be made from plastic material into which the partial stator ring segments or the subdivided partial stator ring segments may be at least partially molded. This secures the structural integration of these parts that are very important for the function and measuring precision of the angular rotation sensor. In this manner, production effort is reduced to a minimum. These elements may be precisely adjusted, making subsequent adjustments superfluous.
The toothed wheel segment may be connected inside the cap housing element by a spring element that is also contained in the cap housing element. This guarantees that when the drive unit is switched off or if the throttle valve shaft does not move, the sensor is moved to a well-defined end position.
The connection between the housing cap element and the throttle valve housing may be accomplished in at least two ways, although other ways will be apparent to those having skill in the art with the benefit of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the housing cap element may be put on top of the throttle valve housing, thus forming a complete housing. When putting the cap down simultaneously, the toothed wheel segment is plugged onto the throttle valve shaft. The completely equipped, readily supplied housing cap element thus requires only one assembly manipulation in order to attach it to the throttle valve unit, producing in this manner a functional whole. In another embodiment variant, the housing cap element encloses all functional units, i.e., the transmission, the partial stator ring segments, the subdivided partial stator ring segments (if these are used), one or several Hall-IC probes, and the ring-segment-shaped ring magnet. This housing cap element is coupled to the throttle valve housing by a bracket or other device, so both parts form a unit.
The transmission may be realized as a conventional transmission or as a planetary gear. In one embodiment, the transmission includes a the toothed wheel segment, a motor sprocket wheel that is coupled with the drive unit, an intermediate sprocket wheel, and an adjusting sprocket wheel coupled to the intermediate sprocket wheel that can be rotatably retained in the cap housing element, with the toothed wheel segment engaging the adjusting sprocket wheel, and with the motor sprocket wheel engaging the intermediate sprocket wheel.
In one embodiment, the drive unit may be a motor that is at least partially enclosed by the cap housing element. However, it is also possible to couple the motor, which is enclosed in an external housing, with the cap housing element. In both cases, a structural unit results that can be connected in a simple way with a separately manufactured throttle valve unit.